Dynamic information storage or retrieval – Storage medium structure – Optical track structure
Reexamination Certificate
2000-07-11
2004-01-13
Tran, Thang V. (Department: 2653)
Dynamic information storage or retrieval
Storage medium structure
Optical track structure
C369S275400, C369S030040
Reexamination Certificate
active
06678236
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an information recording medium. Also, this invention relates to a method and an apparatus for recording information on a recording medium. In addition, this invention relates to a method and an apparatus for reproducing information from a recording medium.
2. Description of the Related Art
A DVD (digital versatile disc) family contains a DVD-Video and a DVD-RW. Here, DVD-RW is short for DVD-Rewritable.
The DVD-Video is designed for a playback purpose (a reproduction purpose) only. In general, the DVD-Video stores main information, and copyright information corresponding to the main information. For example, the copyright information is designed to prevent the contents of the main information from being illegally copied. According to a CSS (a contents scramble system), the copyright information is recorded on a given area of the disc, that is, an area of the disc which is assigned to information related to copyright protection such as information of a CSS key.
A DVD-Video player operates as follows. First, the player reads out information of a CSS key from a disc. When the information of the CSS key is correct, the player is permitted to reproduce the contents of main information from the disc.
Otherwise, the player is inhibited form reproducing the contents of the main information. Thus, the CSS key functions to prevent the contents of the main information from being illegally copied.
It is assumed that a DVD recording system illegally records DVD-Video contents information and corresponding CSS-key information on a disc. In this case, since the correct CSS-key information is present in the disc, a DVD-Video player can reproduce the DVD-Video contents information. Thus, in this case, it is difficult to protect copyright on the DVD-Video contents information.
The DVD family also contains a DVD-R (a DVD-Recordable). Information can be recorded on the DVD-R only once. It is conceivable that before the shipment of a virgin DVD-R from a factory, the disc is physically processed to record a special code signal other than a signal of a CSS key on a given area of the disc which corresponds to a copyright information area of a DVD-Video. In this case, it is difficult to write information of a CSS key over the given area of the DVD-R after the shipment thereof from the factory. It is assumed that a DVD recording system illegally records DVD-Video contents information on such a DVD-R. CSS-key information corresponding to the DVD-Video contents information is absent from the DVD-R since it is difficult to record the CSS-key information on the disc. Accordingly, in this case, a DVD-Video player can not reproduce the DVD-contents information from the disc. Thus, it is possible to protect copyright on the DVD-Video contents information.
The DVD-RW has the feature that information can be repetitively recorded thereon a plurality of times. An explanation is now given of the case where before the shipment of a virgin DVD-RW from a factory, a special code signal other than a signal of a CSS key is recorded on a given area of the disc which corresponds to a copyright information area of a DVD-Video. Even in this case, it is possible for a DVD recording system to illegally record DVD-Video contents information and corresponding CSS-key information on the DVD-RW after the shipment thereof from the factory. Since the correct CSS-key information is present in the disc, a DVD-Video player can reproduce the DVD-Video contents information therefrom. Thus, in this case, it is difficult to protect copyright on the DVD-Video contents information.
Regarding a DVD-RW or a similar rewritable disc storing DVD-contents information permitted to be copied, it is desirable that the DVD-contents information can be reproduced from the disc. Also, in some cases, it is desirable that the DVD-contents information can be copied.
An optical disc conforming to the RTR (real-time recording) standards is incompatible with a DVD-Video. Regarding an RTR disc storing main information and copyright information, it is desirable to control the copying (the recording and the reproduction) of the main information in accordance with the contents of the copyright information.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is a first object of this invention to provide an improved information recording medium.
It is a second object of this invention to provide an improved method of recording information on a recording medium.
It is a third object of this invention to provide an improved apparatus for recording information on a recording medium.
It is a fourth object of this invention to provide an improved method of reproducing information from a recording medium.
It is a fifth object of this invention to provide an improved apparatus for reproducing information from a recording medium.
A first aspect of this invention provides an information recording medium comprising a lead-in area and a data area for storing contents information, the lead-in area including a first lead-in information area and a second lead-in information area, the first lead-in information area corresponding to a first playback mode, the second lead-in information area corresponding to a second playback mode different from the first playback mode, the first lead-in information area having a first depth and being for storing lead-in information related to the contents information stored in the data area, the second lead-in information area including pre-pits having a second depth greater than the first depth, the pre-pits representing predetermined information related to the contents information stored in the data area.
A second aspect of this invention provides an information recording medium comprising a lead-in area and a data area for storing contents information, the lead-in area including a first lead-in information area and a second lead-in information area, the first lead-in information area corresponding to a first recording/playback mode, the second lead-in information area corresponding to a second recording/playback mode different from the first recording/playback mode, the first lead-in information area being for storing lead-in information related to the contents information stored in the data area in units of predetermined error correction blocks, the second lead-in information area being for inerasably storing information containing predetermined information related to the contents information stored in the data area, wherein an amount of the information containing the predetermined information exceeds a value corresponding to an upper limit of an ability of the predetermined error correction blocks to correct errors.
A third aspect of this invention is based on the first aspect thereof, and provides an information recording medium wherein the lead-in information contains flag information representing a validity of the lead-in information.
A fourth aspect of this invention is based on the first aspect thereof, and provides an information recording medium wherein the first lead-in information area and the second lead-in information area comprise information-recordable areas made of phase-changeable material, and the predetermined information is reproducible.
A fifth aspect of this invention provides a method of recording lead-in information and contents information on an information recording medium, the information recording medium comprising a lead-in area and a data area for storing contents information, the lead-in area including a first lead-in information area for storing the lead-in information and a second lead-in information area for storing the lead-in information except predetermined information related to the contents information stored in the data area. The method comprises the steps of recording the lead-in information on the first lead-in information area, and recording the contents information on the data area during a first recording mode of operation which corresponds to recording on the first lead-in information area; and recording the lead-in information except the pre
Tran Thang V.
Victor Company of Japan Ltd.
Woo Louis
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